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December 23, 2012 All over India, an unusual name has been popping up on signs in restaurants and businesses. Indians have a growing affinity for the murderous dictator, and the connections between him and the subcontinent may explain why.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

December 22, 2012 Each Dec. 23, they descend upon Oaxaca's main plaza: giant root vegetables carved into human figures and other vivid forms. The Night of the Radishes is a major tourist draw these days, but it all started with Spanish missionaries in the 1500s. When a new religion and imported crops met indigenous woodcarvers, a novel art form was born.

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December 21, 2012 Laura Dern is Amy Jellicoe, a health and beauty executive who returns from a post-meltdown retreat to pick up the pieces of her broken life in the HBO series Enlightened. Series creator Mike White talks about the tone of the show, and whether it's possible for people to really change.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

December 21, 2012 On this week's show, we talk about a sprawling story of hobbits and a sprawling problem of how cultural stuff builds up on the shelves and in the closets of the people who love it. All that, and what's making us happy this week.

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ListenPlaylist

December 21, 2012 Are you still hunting for that perfect last-minute gift? We've got 10 suggestions for everyone on your list, from the baseball fan to the person who quite rightly points out they don't make 'em like The Carol Burnett Show anymore.

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December 20, 2012 It's been 80 years since Britain's royal family began broadcasting a Christmas message. Now, the monarch will deliver her holiday address in 3-D. It's a medium in which she's been filmed before — 59 years ago, her coronation and other events were captured by 3-D cameras.

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December 18, 2012 Think all eggs are alike? Think again. A group of British poultry enthusiasts holds an annual contest to find not just a good egg, but the best egg. We find out what it takes to make the grade.

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December 17, 2012 For this week's Sandwich Monday, we look back at the time we tried McDonald's beloved and mysterious McRib. It's usually out in October, but it comes a little late this year, so it's better timed as a sign of the coming apocalypse.

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December 14, 2012 A new documentary on PBS about the making of the Beatles' 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour features outtakes from the original and new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. TV critic David Bianculli calls the film "wonderfully thorough."

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

December 14, 2012 On this week's show, we ponder a question that seems to come up over and over again: Is culture really worse than it's ever been? And if it isn't, why do people keep saying it is? All that, plus a gift guide and a little more guidance on this weekend's live event at NPR HQ.

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ListenPlaylist

December 13, 2012 Congress isn't sitting around quietly while commercials get louder. It's actually illegal now for commercials to blast into your ears more loudly than programming. But why stop there? We've got suggested ordinances to reduce noise from construction, bagpipes, and snowblowers.

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